Fast Boat from Bali to Gili Meno: What Accommodation?

Horse-drawn carts wait to transport you to your Gili Meno accommodation. Gili Meno is the smallest and quietest of the three Gili Islands off the north-west coast of Lombok, and for most visitors the journey begins in Bali. There is no airport, no car and no motorbike on the island, so the fast boat from Bali to Gili Meno is the only practical way to arrive. If you have never done the crossing before, the video and photos below show exactly what to expect, from the busy jetty at Padang Bai to a barefoot landing on Meno’s white sand..

GILI MENO YOUTUBE VIDEO | VIDEOS NEAR BALI

Which Fast Boat Goes from Bali to Gili Meno?

Several operators run the route, and most depart from Padang Bai on Bali’s east coast, with a few sailing from Sanur, Serangan or Amed. The crossing to the Gilis typically takes between ninety minutes and two and a half hours depending on the port, the sea state and how many stops the boat makes. Gili Trawangan and Gili Air are served by more boats than Meno, so check that your ticket actually lists Gili Meno as a stop rather than assuming every service calls there.

Ticket prices vary widely between operators and seasons, and it pays to book a day or two ahead in July, August and over Christmas. Many companies include a hotel pick-up from Ubud, Canggu, Seminyak or Kuta, which removes the hassle of arranging a separate driver to the port. Your bags are numbered with a tag on the jetty and stacked on the roof or in the bow, so pack anything fragile in your hand luggage and bring a dry bag for electronics.

The Crossing: Comfort, Sea Conditions and Seasickness

The Lombok Strait is one of the deeper channels in Indonesia and can be lively, particularly between December and March when the north-west monsoon blows. In the dry season, the sea is usually calm in the morning and choppier after lunch, which is why most departures leave Bali between 8 am and 10 am. If you are prone to seasickness, sit toward the back of the boat, face forward and take medication before boarding rather than once you feel unwell. Air-conditioned cabins are standard on the larger boats, but an open rear deck is often the more pleasant option for fresh air and views of Mount Agung fading behind you.

Arriving at Gili Meno: A Beach Landing for Cargo, Harbour Jetty for Tourists

This is the part that surprises first-time visitors. Gili Meno has a short wooden jetty, but many fast boats and all of the local supply boats simply nose up to the beach. That means stepping off the bow into ankle-deep to knee-deep water and wading the last few metres to shore. Wear sandals or shoes you do not mind getting wet, roll up long trousers, and let the crew pass your luggage down the chain to the sand.

Watching the supply boats unload is one of the small pleasures of arriving on Meno. Everything the island consumes, from bottled water to bags of rice, comes over from Lombok and is carried up the beach on shoulders and heads. It is a reminder of how remote the island still feels despite being only a short hop from Bali.

Getting to Your Accommodation: Cidomo Horse Carts and Walking

With no motor vehicles on the island, you have two choices once you are on dry land. The first is a cidomo, the traditional horse-drawn cart that waits by the harbour for arriving boats. Fares are set by the drivers and should be agreed before you climb aboard. Most guesthouses and resorts on the west and north coasts are a ten- to fifteen-minute ride. The second option is simply to walk. Gili Meno is roughly two kilometres long, and the sandy track that loops the island can be covered in under an hour, though dragging a wheeled suitcase through soft sand is hard work, which is why the cidomo drivers do good business.

Many hotels will send a porter or cart to meet you if you share your boat details in advance, so it is worth emailing your accommodation the day before. If you are travelling with a lot of luggage or young children, this small step makes the arrival far smoother.

I stay at and recommend Kampung Meno Bungalows, owned by French, English and Bahasa-speaking Australian, Sylvie Lo Monaco.

Practical Tips for a Smooth Bali to Gili Meno Boat Trip

1. Book a morning departure for the calmest seas and to arrive with daylight to spare.
   1. I booked my Bali to Gili Islands boat at Padang Bai harbour on the east coast of Bali the day before travel. It was well organised. I was given a boat ticket and a green paper bracelet with Gili Meno on it.
   2. When I arrived at Gili Trawangan, my bracelet was spotted by helpful boat crew who directed me to follow staff in a blue shirt who loaded my bags into a speedboat to Gili Meno.
2. Bring cash in Indonesian rupiah. There are ATMs on Meno, but there are few and sometimes empty.
3. Pack light, use a backpack rather than a hard suitcase if you can, and keep a change of clothes accessible.
4. Reef-safe sunscreen matters here; Meno’s turtle-rich reefs are the reason most people come.
5. Confirm your return boat time on arrival, as schedules change with the tide and weather. In my case, a cascade of errors caused me to miss the departure boat from Gili Meno to Bali.
   1. The booking confirmation, as shown below, shows a time of 11 a.m. I was at the Gili Meno harbour dock at 9:45 am.
   2. The boat was early, but no one told me the boat was early. The ticketing office says she told me, but the fact is she told others, not me
   3. I was given a boat ticket and told to get on a boat at the end of the dock, but there were 4 boats there, so I asked which boat. An ununiformed person said this boat is going to Gili Air.
   4. Because I had arrived on Gili Meno from Gili Trawangan on a small speedboat, I had assumed I would go back to Bali via Gili Trawangan.
   5. No one on the dock asked to see my boat ticket. I saw a long wooden boat depart for Gili Air. That was the boat I was supposed to take to connect with my big boat to Bali, but no one tells you these things.
   6. The following day, things were done right. For a start, my luggage was tagged this time, letting the boat captain know which boat to board.

The downside is a wasted AUD$13 night hotel booking in Padang Bai. The upside: another day on the paradise island of Gili Meno. A day I went snorkelling with a tame turtle. I was swimming on my back, off the island’s west coast. When I rolled over, to my surprise, a turtle was under me. Its gorgeous big eyes were looking at me. Swimming with a tame turtle made me glad I missed the Gili Island boat. I lost a prepaid $13 hotel booking, but I got to swim with turtles and eat MahiMahi for lunch, plus I listened to live music at a Gili Meno beach bar after watching the sunset behind Gili Trawangan and Mt Agung. The American Indian performance was good, followed by fireworks on Gili Trawangan and on the beach in front of us. Sitting on comfortable bean bags with my Perth friend Syclie, drinks in hand, on a calm, windless night told me I really am in Gili Island paradise of North Lombok, Indonesia.

Where to Stay on Gili Meno

Gili Meno’s accommodation ranges from simple beachfront bungalows to a handful of boutique resorts, with the west coast favoured for sunset views across to Bali and the east coast for snorkelling straight off the sand.

Return to our Bali accommodation homepage if you are combining the islands with time in Ubud or the south of Bali. Contact Ben, Google winner for “hotel marketing bali” and “hotel marketing asia” for over 2 decades, if you want online advertising for your Gili Islands hospitality business.